Chapter 534: Victory and Recuperation
At this moment, the Fire-Crowned Divine Cedar was extremely aggrieved.
Originally, victory had already been within Its grasp, but Sun Lingtong’s sudden opportunistic strike had ruined the entire favorable situation.
The main reason was the public incense offerings.
If the Fire-Crowned Divine Cedar had openly established temples and absorbed incense offerings, then before believers made their offerings, they would certainly chant Its divine name. In that case, the incense offerings would naturally belong to the Fire-Crowned Divine Cedar.
But all along, It had concealed Its true form. Even Luo Chen, the Forest Chief guarding Ten-Li Burning Forest, had been unaware of Its existence.
Only when the Three Generals Camp’s victory was already in sight and Luo Chen’s intention to retreat had become extremely obvious did the Fire-Crowned Divine Cedar have no choice but to reveal Itself.
It understood very clearly: once Liangzhu Kingdom took control of this place, strict inspections would certainly follow, and It would no longer be able to remain hidden.
“My incense offerings!”
“Luo Chen, you must reclaim my incense offerings, or else we will both be defeated!”
Luo Chen: “Pfft!”
He spat out a mouthful of blood and instantly became dispirited. His momentum and fighting spirit plunged to rock bottom.
His face was deathly pale, as if he were already a corpse. “Where are the incense offerings? Who stole them?”
Fire-Crowned Divine Cedar: “I don’t know!”
Luo Chen: “Pfft!!”
He spat out another mouthful of blood.
The Fire Crown was withdrawn. Liu Er, Guan Hong, and Zhang Hei also staggered slightly. For a moment, they could not continue their offensive and had to adjust urgently.
At this time, the ordinary soldiers actually recovered faster.
Ning Zhuo seized the opportunity and mobilized the army’s power to enhance his own spells.
For a time, Metal-Element Spell after Metal-Element Spell was unleashed. Golden blades, golden spears, golden swords, and other attacks surged forth like a violent storm.
Gao Cuo was restless. “Sword Elder, should we act?”
Sword Elder replied, “Wait a little longer! You, the Fire-Crowned Divine Cedar, and Luo Chen are all allies, and you carry the divine decree. If you rashly attack your own side, you won’t be able to remain in Thousand Peaks Forest anymore.”
“Patience for now is the best strategy!”
Gao Cuo nodded. “Understood. Let the Three Generals Camp kill the Fire-Crowned Divine Cedar first. Then we can move in and seize the Wood-Within-Fire.”
His main objective in coming here had always been this rare Fire Seed.
However, while they were communicating, Ning Zhuo was also communicating with Lin Bufan.
“Sect Master Lin, the next step will depend on you to seize the Wood-Within-Fire!” Ning Zhuo transmitted the message with his spiritual sense through a token.
Ever since the Ning Family, the Myriad Medicines Sect, and the Zhu royal family of Southern Dou Country had secretly formed an alliance through the Radiant Reflection Wall, the key members all possessed tokens that allowed communication within a short distance.
Lin Bufan was not surprised that Ning Zhuo had seen through him.
After all, when he had previously approached Ning Zhuo, he had used the One-Leaf-Blinding-Eyes Technique, which Sun Lingtong had already seen through with Wanli Dragon.
“Very well, I’ll cooperate with you,” Lin Bufan replied decisively.
The next moment, Ning Zhuo intensified his assault, attempting to create an opening.
The three generals were all Golden Core cultivators, and they recovered faster than Luo Chen.
Zhang Hei was the first to attack, directly throwing out the Black Serpent Spear.
Spear Technique—Serpent Fang Throw!
The Black Serpent Spear was powerful and heavy. It tore through the air and arrived before Luo Chen in the blink of an eye.
Luo Chen tried to dodge, but Guan Hong immediately followed up.
Innate Talent—Purple Beard Astonishing Swan!
Although it was not at the level of a divine ability, Guan Hong had invested tremendous effort into developing this talent. Its power was sufficient to restrain the severely weakened Luo Chen.
Even though it immobilized him for only an instant, that was already enough.
The Black Serpent Spear pierced directly through Luo Chen’s chest, creating a huge hole the size of a washbasin.
His heart, lungs, spine, ribs—everything was destroyed!
With his physical body dead, Luo Chen let out a sorrowful sigh and swiftly released his Nascent Soul.
Liu Er immediately followed, swinging the Primal Yellow Sword and striking at the Nascent Soul.
Void Traversal!
Without the slightest hesitation, Luo Chen’s Nascent Soul immediately fled into the void, directly leaving the battlefield.
“No—!”
“Luo Chen, you cannot escape!!”
The Fire-Crowned Divine Cedar roared in despair.
Without Luo Chen and without the public incense offerings, even as a deity, It was like a bow without arrows, a cannon without ammunition, a martial artist without strength.
It could only be slaughtered at will.
The Three Generals Camp surrounded the Fire-Crowned Divine Cedar completely, bringing the darkest despair upon the divine tree.
Various attacks rained down upon the cedar. Relying solely on Its own natural resilience, It could still hold out for a short while.
Ning Zhuo had already finished coordinating with the three generals.
Their offensive suddenly became ferocious, causing the Fire-Crowned Divine Cedar to sway as if it were about to fall.
At the next moment, Lin Bufan—who had been waiting for a long time—suddenly made his move, splitting open the Fire-Crowned Divine Cedar’s trunk and taking the Wood-Within-Fire.
The three generals “roared in shock.” Guan Hong and Zhang Hei even attempted to pursue Lin Bufan, but Liu Er and Ning Zhuo stopped them simultaneously.
“It’s only a mere fire seed. Let it go.”
“We must stabilize this place.”
“Capturing Ten-Li Burning Forest is already a great achievement. Don’t complicate matters!”
“Exactly. There may be a trap!”
Gao Cuo and Sword Elder: “??!!”
“What are you four doing? The spoils of war were right in front of you, yet someone just snatched the fire seed!”
“Since it’s been taken, why aren’t you chasing him?”
They both felt there was still time before they should act. They had been patiently waiting, yet the three generals suddenly intensified their assault, briefly recovering their strength and allowing Lin Bufan to “seize the opportunity” and openly take the Wood-Within-Fire.
“We must chase him quickly! If we delay any longer, he’ll escape far away!” Sword Elder shouted in Gao Cuo’s mind, clearly becoming anxious.
The two quietly slipped out and pursued Lin Bufan, who was flying swiftly through the sky.
Gao Cuo specialized in the Displacement Shadow Scripture and was extremely skilled at disguise and concealment. Lin Bufan was followed the entire way yet sensed nothing.
“This Wood-Within-Fire truly deserves its reputation as one of the Three Samadhi Fires. It is indeed extraordinary.”
As sect master for many years, Lin Bufan was encountering such an exceptional Fire Seed for the first time.
“The Samadhi True Fire corresponds to the three aspects of Heaven, Earth, and Man. The Wood-Within-Fire is the fire of firewood—the Human Fire.”
“In Ten-Li Burning Forest, using Human Fire as the seed appears on the surface to refine magical artifacts, but in truth it is gathering incense offerings to refine the Fire-Crowned Divine Cedar itself.”
“This must be the arrangement of the Dragon Ginseng King. Truly profound planning. Unfortunately, it could not withstand the frontal assault of Liangzhu Kingdom’s army, and this scheme was abandoned halfway.”
Even though he had merely observed the battle today, Lin Bufan’s insight allowed him to glimpse parts of the Dragon Ginseng King’s plan.
“The Wood-Within-Fire has already been refined by the Fire-Crowned Divine Cedar. That divine cedar will certainly be imprisoned first and will not lose its life. Therefore, this fire seed still has an owner. Even though I have seized it, it must be cleansed before it can be given to Ning Zhuo.”
Lin Bufan contemplated silently.
According to the secret agreement he had just made with Ning Zhuo on the battlefield through spiritual communication—
Lin Bufan would help Ning Zhuo seize the Wood-Within-Fire, and afterward Ning Zhuo would reward him in other cooperative matters.
Given the alliance between the Myriad Medicines Sect and the Ning Family, although it had not been discussed during their secret communication, Lin Bufan even took the initiative to purify the Fire Seed for Ning Zhuo.
One order after another was rapidly issued by Liu Er.
Luo Chen had fled in defeat, leaving only his Nascent Soul alive.
The master craftsman Yan Jin had been captured. His deputy, Fairy Flowing Flame, had died in battle. The Forest-Guarding Grand Formation had also fallen into the hands of the Three Generals Camp.
The Fire-Crowned Divine Cedar was sealed heavily and placed under strict guard.
Thus the battle came to an end. The Three Generals Camp emerged victorious, having suffered the loss of more than three hundred soldiers, and took full control of Ten-Li Burning Forest.
The message reporting their victory was sent out immediately.
Work began at once.
After entering his own tent, Ning Zhuo dove into Wanli Dragon and activated the three Mechanical Work Platforms, rapidly replenishing his Mechanical Puppets.
His mechanical army had suffered severe losses in this battle. If not for the mid-battle reinforcement, it would have been completely annihilated.
Mechanical Puppets were produced one after another at great speed.
By now, Ning Zhuo had become increasingly proficient at this task. Both production and efficiency had improved slightly.
However, the improvement was not very large.
The real key to major efficiency gains still lay in the Mechanical Work Platforms.
“There should be other Mechanical Work Platforms in that Storage Bag. Unfortunately, it cannot be opened yet.” Ning Zhuo thought of the military supplies belonging to the Mechanism Princess, Shuang Ling.
With soldiers in hand, one felt no panic.
As more Mechanical Puppets were replenished, Ning Zhuo grew increasingly calm.
During his rest, he reviewed the entire expedition.
“A Nascent Soul can escape into the void. Nascent Soul cultivators are very difficult to kill completely. Mu Lan’s case was ultimately a rare exception.”
“In the end, I still didn’t test my limits. Oh well.”
“Ten-Li Burning Forest, Cloud-Shoulder Dragon-Homage Platform, Curved Root Hundred Herbs Cave, Thousand Vines Talisman Sky Corridor, and the others are resource strongholds built around Dragon King Giant Tree Mountain.”
“According to intelligence, these strongholds were jointly funded and constructed by Dragon King Temple together with the major forces of Thousand Peaks Forest. Each one cost a tremendous price!”
“I never expected that the Dragon Ginseng King secretly made such a move, covertly supporting the Fire-Crowned Divine Cedar to become a deity. Not only did he use Ten-Li Burning Forest to forge a god, but he also used that god to secretly erode the stronghold itself. What a meticulous scheme.”
“But because of that, there was public incense. And that became the fatal flaw!”
For more than ten years, Ning Zhuo had studied the situation and power dynamics in Huoshi Immortal City, giving him deep insight into such matters.
Just like Lin Bufan, he had also glimpsed the Dragon Ginseng King’s scheme.
At this point, he touched his chest.
“I designed the Five Viscera Temple Divine Spirit Technique. I never expected it could be used here.”
Now, Ning Zhuo’s Fire-Element Heart Temple was filled with a massive amount of incense offerings.
During the battle, Ning Zhuo had secretly handed his own heart to Sun Lingtong, allowing him to sneak out and steal the incense offerings.
After all, incense offerings could only be collected by a deity.
Moreover, the Fire-Crowned Divine Cedar belonged to the Fire Element, perfectly matching Ning Zhuo’s Fire-Element Heart Temple.
If it had been anyone else, without Ning Zhuo’s strange divine technique, even if they had discovered the Fire-Crowned Divine Cedar’s fatal flaw, they would not have been able to exploit it.
“Old Dice, you should be able to use this incense as well, right?” Ning Zhuo shook his wrist, dropping his bracelet and summoning the Dicebone Demon God.
The Dicebone Demon God immediately knelt on one knee.
“This old servant greets the master.”
“Master, your divine insight is correct. Since these incense offerings are public, they are essentially ownerless and are suitable for me to use in restoring myself.”
“However…”
Ning Zhuo asked, “However what?”
Dicebone Demon God replied, “However, my Dao differs greatly from artifact refinement. Although I can absorb this public incense and convert it into divine power, the loss rate will be far higher than that of the Fire-Crowned Divine Cedar.”
Ning Zhuo waved his hand generously. “It doesn’t matter.”
The Dicebone Demon God immediately became deeply grateful, praising Ning Zhuo’s generosity and magnanimity.
Ning Zhuo simply observed from the side.
This was the first time he had personally witnessed a deity using incense offerings.
Although he had read extensively, even the books did not reveal such secrets.
Ning Zhuo first released the Fire-Element Heart Temple and placed it inside the cabin, shrinking it to the size of a small wall shrine.
The Dicebone Demon God sat in a strange posture—not cross-legged but half-squatting, leaning forward, with both palms pressed against the floor.
The small temple opened its doors, revealing the incense within.
The incense had gathered into a single mass. Overall, it appeared as a strangely shaped flame.
The outermost layer constantly emitted drifting gray smoke. The flame itself had two layers—the outer layer was bright red, while the inner layer was golden amber.
The Dicebone Demon God inhaled deeply, drawing the incense into its mouth and nose.
It rapidly refined it, transforming it into new divine power.
The divine power was quickly consumed again, forming divine arts to heal its own injuries.
Ning Zhuo observed carefully.
“Although deities are powerful, they must consume incense offerings and refine them into their own divine power. Only with divine power as the foundation can they perform many divine arts.”
“The Dicebone Demon God’s injuries are severe, so it requires a large amount of divine power to heal.”
“Its Dao-Field was destroyed. Although its believers are still alive, they have been following me, so it has never had a chance to collect the incense they accumulated.”
“This is why deities often need believers, doctrines, and a fixed territory.”
“Could it be that deities themselves have no method of increasing their divine power?” Ning Zhuo wondered and asked the Dicebone Demon God directly.
The Dicebone Demon God replied that such methods did exist, but compared to absorbing and converting incense offerings, their efficiency was extremely poor.
For deities, converting incense offerings into divine power was the true path.
Some deities still retained physical bodies, such as certain demon cultivators. However, when they converted demonic power or mana into divine power, the efficiency and results were far inferior to incense offerings.
The Dicebone Demon God also explained incense offerings further:
“Master, public incense has only two layers, but most incense belongs to personal incense and has three layers.”
“The outermost layer is the mortal shell, which settles the endless emotions and desires of the believers.”
“The middle layer is the wish-power layer, the strength of prayers and supplications.”
“At the core lies the divine nucleus, usually inscribed with the deity’s divine name in the form of divine script.”
“Once incense bears the divine name, it becomes owned. Other deities can hardly use it unless the original owner lends it out.”
Finally, the Dicebone Demon God gazed deeply at the Fire-Element Heart Temple.
“Master, according to your unique technique, you may also be able to absorb incense offerings and convert them into divine power.”
“Oh?” Ning Zhuo suddenly became interested.
But the Dicebone Demon God added, “However, the path of a deity has many drawbacks.”
“Master, your own future is bright. This old servant does not recommend that you walk this path.”
Ning Zhuo nodded. He had already realized this.
If nothing else, cultivating divine power would mean dual cultivation. Dual cultivation had many disadvantages. Moreover, he was already cultivating three dantians simultaneously, which had greatly slowed his cultivation progress. Adding divine power cultivation would simply be an inefficient burden.
In the end, the Dicebone Demon God absorbed more than half of the incense offerings and completely restored itself.
Ning Zhuo continued cultivating his physical body while waiting for Lin Bufan to return.
He was quite eager for the Wood-Within-Fire.
However, after waiting three days, Lin Bufan had not returned.
Instead, the envoy of Supervising Officer Zhao Xi arrived—along with a reply.